Of Loss and Pain
by MCR Lurver
Summary: Robert Langdon and Silas embark on a journy that will take them through history, memory, and pain. They must find Leigh Teabing, and make sure that his life becomes hell before they had him over to the devil called history or so they think...
1. Friends?

Silas looked out of the fogged over window of the train. He was riding in a compartment by himself, so no one could look at him.

Being albino was never easy. Painful childhood memories were brought back to him every time someone pointed at him, looking at his hair, his skin…

If he could have one wish what would it be? To be like an average human? To have an accepting family? No. None of that would do. To start life over again? Now that would be one great wish.

_I am an angle, _he told himself. _I must not forget that. I am God's messenger…_

For hours he had been able to think of what lay ahead. But maybe it had been too long for him to contemplate what he was about to do. Could he really do this?

Robert Langdon rolled out of bed. How late was it? Checking the clock, it was 8:30. It wasn't that late, after all.

He walked into the bathroom to shave. He hated hotel bathrooms. They were too small for his liking. It made him feel like… no, he wouldn't let himself think about it.

He ran the water, and closed the door.

Down in the lobby of the hotel, Silas had made his way to the front desk.

"Excuse me," he said to the lady standing behind the desk, "I am looking for my friend. His Name is Robert Langdon. I am afraid that I have lost the room number that he gave me. Would you be so kind as to tell me which room he is staying in?"

The woman paused for a second, still taking in Silas, before saying, "Sure. Give me a moment." She pounded away at a keyboard, and after a few seconds she said, "He's staying in room 203. It's on the second floor. Take a right after you get off the elevator."

"Thank you," Silas said before walking swiftly away from the desk in the direction of the elevators.

Without the hotel worker knowing, Silas had stolen a key pass that would allow him to enter any room. It was one of the passes that the maid staff used to access the rooms.

Silently, like a ghost, he slipped down the hallway towards Robert Langdon's room. He placed his ear to the door, and could hear water running in the bathroom. Good. He slid the key into the lock, and it beeped, letting him know that the door had unlocked.

He opened it cautiously, not wanting Langdon to know that he was in the room.

Langdon had just finished up shaving and washing his face. While he was drying it with a towel, he didn't hear the bathroom door creek open. When he looked back up into the mirror, he saw another figure in the room with him.

For a few moments he was frozen, trying to remember the face. Then it hit him. It was the albino monk.

Langdon turned and charged at the man, who easily stepped out of the way, as Langdon smashed into the closet. The monk grabbed Langdon, and pulled him up.

"Mr. Langdon," he said, his voice silky, "I do no mean you any harm. I have come here for terms."

"What?" Langdon asked, very confused. Only months ago had the two been mortal enemies, and now the monk was coming to find him for something that required them to be friends?

"I know that you must think that this is a trap," the other man said, "but I have no weapons, no backup, nothing. I have just myself to show you."

"What are these terms that you want?" Langdon asked.

"Good," the monk said, releasing Langdon, "I have come to ask you a favor. I assume that you know who the man behind all of the, shall we say… scheme so many months ago?"

"Yes, I did. His name was Leigh Teabing. He was an old friend of mine."

"Aw, we can never trust the ones who are so close to us," Silas said, "Do you know what became of him?"

"I know that he was being held in prison," Langdon offered, "But I can't remember where. London, I think. Why do you ask?"

"I am merely trying to get my revenge on the man who ruined my life," Silas said simply, as if it meant nothing to him what so ever.

For a few seconds Langdon could not think of a response. "Ah…" he started, "I'm not sure if I can help you there."


	2. Disturbing News

"You want some coffee?" Langdon asked. He and Silas were standing in BWI, waiting to board a flight that would take them to London, and, presumptively, to Teabing.

"No," the monk replied. He seemed to be lost in his own little world.

_It must have something to do with being albino and all that,_ Langdon thought as he started off to find coffee.

He returned a few minutes later with a cup of hot coffee in hand. Silas was right where he had left him; it did not look as if he had even moved a muscle during the time Langdon had been absent.

Checking his Mickey Mouse watch, he said, "We've got about twenty minutes before we have to board the plane."

Silas made no response. _God, sometimes I wonder if he's even still alive, _Langdon mused.

Twenty minutes later, Langdon prepared himself for the discomfort that was about to come. He strongly disliked flying, even if it was in a roomy plane.

He and Silas sat down in the middle of the plane. After a while, a flight attendant came over with drinks for them. Langdon accepted his gratefully; it was ginger ale, something that, he hoped, would make his stomach feel less like a creature was hopping around inside of it.

It was a quick flight from BWI to London. Langdon was grateful to get off of the plane, and Silas seemed equally was pleased.

"Where do we go from here?" Silas asked.

"I'm not sure," Langdon replied, "I've got it in my bag somewhere…"

_You'd better have it, _Silas thought, _or Teabing isn't the only one I'm going to kill…_

"We're heading to Gatehouse Prison," Langdon said, looking at a piece of paper, "But we'll have to get a cab. It would be a bit of a walk."

"What's going on?" Silas asked. They had just reached Gatehouse Prison to find what looked like all of the police officers in London crowed around it.

Langdon walked over to an officer and asked him the same question.

"Sir, there's been a prisoner escape. I'm afraid you'll have to leave the area."

"May I inquire about a prisoner that was being held here?" he asked.

The officer glanced at him, then at Silas, and back to Langdon. "Which one?" he sighed.

"His name was Leigh Teabing," Langdon said, "Is he still in the prison? He was quite old, and used crutches."

The officer consulted a list in his hands, and said, "I'm sorry to inform you that he was one of the men who escaped this morning."

"You've got to be kidding," Langdon said, more to himself than anyone, "Teabing out there again? This means trouble."

He walked back over to Silas. The monk raised his head, and asked, "So?"

"Um," Langdon started. He wasn't exactly sure how to tell Silas this. "Well, there's been a massive prisoner escape this morning…"

"Don't tell me," Silas said, "He's not there. Right?"

"Uh, yeah," Langdon said sheepishly, "I don't know who far he could have gotten by now. He's still using the crutches, after all…"

"No," Silas replied, "He could be in Australia for all we know. He knows how to get around. Those crutches won't hinder him in the least bit."

"Great," Langdon said flatly, "This is going to turn into a massive manhunt. Where do we start?"


	3. What?

Robert Langdon sighed. He was on a bus with Silas. It was a bit awkward, traveling with him. People never ceased to stare.

Langdon was pondering Leigh Teabing's escape that morning. _I sometimes wonder about that man, _he thought, _He could go from perfectly sane on moment, and totally out of control and raving mad the next. _

Now that Teabing was out in the open, there was no telling what he would do. Go after Silas? What about Langdon himself? Or worse: he would go after Sophie.

Sophie. Langdon hadn't seen her in months. They had lost contact after that night in Scotland. They had promised to meet in Florence, but that never happened. It was like one moment they were happy together, and the next, Sophie was gone.

_What really happened to her? _Langdon questioned himself, _is she all right?_

"We get off at the next stop." Langdon turned. That was the first time Silas had spoken since this morning when Langdon had told him about Teabing's escape.

"I'm sorry?"

"We get off at the next stop," the albino repeated.

"What's the next stop?" Langdon asked.

_And you're a professor at Harvard?_

"The next stop is close to the airport."

"Why are we going to the airport?" Langdon was really confused now.

"We need to fly to France so we can catch Teabing."

"Why France?"

"He lives there. I'm sure he'll be at his estate."

"What makes you say that?"

"I have a feeling..."

Langdon didn't question Silas. He decided that he would just go along with it. It was the only lead that they had on Teabing, and really, it wasn't a lead at all. It was a _feeling…_

About twenty minuets later, Silas and Langdon were tailing a cab to take them to the airport. The cab driver stared at Silas, but didn't make any argument about taking them to their destination.

"How much?" Langdon asked when they had reached the airport and had exited the cab.

"Five," the driver grunted. Langdon thrust the bills into the man's had and started off after Silas.

After buying tickets they sat down in the waiting area, and awaited the flight that lay ahead of them. Langdon didn't like the idea of flying, but had agreed to it because it was the fastest way to get to France; the fastest way to catch Teabing and get his life back to normal. _Like my life is normal…_

The plane was small. Langdon could almost feel the side of the plane closing in on him. He twisted his hands in his lap.

"Is there something wrong?" Silas asked, looking at Langdon.

"No. It's just that I don't like small spaces," he replied. Silas turned away; apparently not interested enough to even say anything about it.

_Well, he's a joy when it comes to people._

After the short flight, Langdon was glad to get off of the plane. He and Silas walked out of the airport and hailed another cab.

The driver asked them where they were headed, and Silas told him. The driver raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he said. "Not many people go there. That old man who lives there doesn't take kindly to company, I've heard. Maybe you two will be an exception."

When they reached Teabing's estate, Langdon paid the driver, who told them, "Good luck," before driving off.

"How do we get in?" Langdon asked. "I don't suppose we can just waltz in through the front doors, now can we."

"No," Silas answered, "We'll have to scale the fence."

"What?" Langdon asked, "You mean climb up that whole thing?" He turned to look at the ivy-covered fence next to them. It was about fifteen feet tall. _There is no way in hell you'll get me to climb that!_

A few minutes later, Langdon and Silas were on top of the stone fence. Langdon felt dizzy. Silas seemed to be fine.

"Now, how do we get down?"

"We jump," Silas answered simply.

"Jump?" Langdon was not about to jump off the fence.

"Yes." And before he could ever open his mouth to protest, Silas had jumped off, grabbing one of Langdon's arms and pulling him down with him.

"Ouch."


	4. Teabing

Silas had wandered off in search of an alternative entrance a while ago. Langdon was still hidden the bushes near the side of the house.

More tense minutes passed, and still Silas did not return. Langdon was thinking about leaving his hiding spot to go and search for him, when he suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"We can get in one of the back doors," he said. "It's unlocked."

"All right," Langdon said. The two set off, being careful not to step out of the shadows.

They weren't even sure if Teabing was here or not. But they were careful anyway. He still might have cameras up and running, and he might be able to see them.

Silas stealthily lifted the latch on one of the back doors and slid it open. He and Langdon slipped into the house, closing the door behind them.

Silas went first into the house. He moved with such grace for his size. Langdon followed behind him, watching every move that he made.

The house seemed to empty. There was a small layer of dust over everything. Langdon felt a shiver run down his spine. The house was like a hollow ghost.

Then there came a noise near the front of the house. Silas and Langdon dove into a small room off the study. They left the door open only a crack so that they could see what was going on.

Then Teabing came into their view. Silas cursed under his breath at the sigh of him. Langdon pinched his arm a little to remind him to be quite. They watched a scene unfold before their eyes.

Teabing hobbled into the room. He was dressed in a black jacket and his usual brown hat. He still had the metal crutches with him. It seemed that he had discarded his prison uniform some where before returning to his estate.

Behind him, Remy stumbled into the room. Langdon gave a sharp intake of breath. Remy was dragging a person with a bag over their head into the room, too. It seemed to be a woman.

Then Langdon gasped, making Silas turn and give him a look that could have killed. The woman Remy had was Sophie.

Teabing proceeded to take off his gloves, his back to the room where Silas and Langdon were hiding.

"You can come out now, Robert," Teabing said.

Silas turned to Langdon, who just stood there, stunned.

"And you can bring your friend, too."

Remy left Sophie standing in the middle of the room, and walked over to the room where the two were hiding. He opened the door, exposing Langdon and Silas.

"Hello, there," Teabing said, turning to face them now.

They remained silent. "You're probably wondering how I knew you were there," he said. "Well, my cameras are always on, Robert, they are always on…"

"Robert?" came a muffled voice from inside the bag over Sophie's head.

"Shut up!" Teabing roared, becoming suddenly violent. "Remy!"

Remy strode over to Sophie, pulling a gun from the inside of his jacket. He held it to her head, and he fell silent immediately.

"Now, Robert, what would you do to save her?" Teabing questioned.

"I'm sorry?" Langdon said.

"You heard me," Teabing said. He gave a small smile. It made him look insane. "What would you do to save her?"

"I…um…" Langdon stammered. He knew that he would do anything to save her. But he was not about to let Teabing know that.

"Don't say anything, Robert," Sophie said.

"Say one more thing and you're history," Teabing hissed at Sophie. "And you know how much I would hate to do that."

"So shoot me!" she said, "Robert, I fine. I don't need toy to save me. He won't kill me."

"And how do you know that?" Langdon's voice almost cracked. He couldn't let Sophie die. It would kill him as much as it did her.

"Be quiet," Teabing said. "Answer me, Robert!"

All this time Silas had been twitching besides Langdon. Then, suddenly, he made his move. Silas lunged forward towards Teabing. But in an instant, Remy was there, blocking Silas.

"Ah!" Silas yelled as he was thrown across the room. He hit a bookshelf, and lay motionless.

"What will it be, Robert?" Teabing was starting to get really mad now. He took a menacing step towards Langdon.

Still, Langdon did not answer.

"That's it!" Teabing yelled. "I've been in prison for months, escaped, captured this girl to lure you in, and you won't save her!" He had gone completely wild now.

He nodded to Remy. And without warning, Remy came charging at Langdon. He was knocked over backwards. The two wrestled with each other for a moment, before Remy smacked Langdon's head into the floor. His vision blurred. Before he lost consciousness, he saw Teabing take the bag off Sophie's head. She was the last thing that he saw for a long time.


	5. Mind Games

"Oww…"

"Ah, Robert. You're awake now." It was Teabing's voice.

Langdon raised his head. He was lying on a couch in Teabing's study. His hands and ankles were bound together with rope.

"Leigh?" he asked.

"Hm," Teabing replied, looking down at Langdon.

"I would die."

"I'm sorry?" Teabing said. There was a curious look in his eyes.

"I would die to save Sophie."

"Very good… Very good…"

Then Teabing stood up and left the room.

Outside, Langdon could hear him and Remy talking quietly. "Did he give you an answer yet?" Remy's voice asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, he just did."

"And?"

"He said he would die."

"Excellent. Shall I ready the car?"

"No, not just yet. Give him and the monk time to wake up. You know, I thought I was rid of that pest already. I don't know how the hell he survived."

"It must have a miracle."

"Of course it was." Teabing sounded flustered now.

Langdon gave a small chuckle to himself. _Great. I'm tied up, I've just told Leigh what he wants to hear, and I have no idea where Silas and Sophie are. Wonderful. Now what's Leigh going to do? Try to kill me? I can't see him doing that. What ever he wants, he obviously needs me to help him with it…_

Teabing returning to the room interrupted Langdon's thoughts.

"Up we get, now, Robert." Langdon just sat there.

"Oh, my fault," Teabing said. "Remy!"

Remy came into the room, looking disgusted. "Remy, please untie dear Robert," Teabing told him sweetly. Remy did as he was told as Teabing left the room.

"Don't move." Remy's voice was like venom. Langdon did as he was told. Remy stood up and brushed himself off. He then exited the room.

_How the hell do I get out of here alive with Silas and Sophie? I probably don't…_

Just then Remy came back into the room. He walked over to Langdon and handed him a glass of water. "Drink," he commanded.

Langdon did as he was told again. He took a small sip, and tasted noting wrong with it. _At least they're not trying to kill me yet. _Langdon finished the glass, and handed it back to Remy. He took it with a look of sheer hatred.

He started off to dispose of the glass.

Just then Langdon started to feel dizzy. He put his hand to his head, and lay down again. Then his world went black.

Langdon awoke in a vehicle. He raised his head. Next to him, bound and gagged, was Silas. He sat up. He and Silas seemed to be in the back seat of a Land Rover.

Remy was driving. They were traveling on a deserted road. Teabing sat in one of the front seats. Sophie was next to him. She seemed to be unconscious.

Teabing looked back and saw that Langdon was awake. "Afternoon, Robert."

"What?" Langdon's head hurt a lot. He still felt dizzy. "Where are we going?"

"To the airport," Teabing answered simply.

"Why?"

"We're going to pay a visit to an old friend of mine. And we might even be lucky enough to pick up a new friend along the way."

This made no sense to Langdon. But whatever Teabing meant by it, it probably wasn't good.

Teabing held a finger up to his mouth, and said "Shhh… You'll wake up your friends."

Langdon lay his head back down on the seat. He was feeling dizzy again, and was soon unconscious, too.


	6. Words can speak more than Actions

"What are we going to do with them once we land?"

Langdon heard voices distantly. He was aware that he was semiconscious, but he still didn't know where he was. _From now on, I don't drink water._

"We must have some way to restrain them; especially the albino."

"Yes. We have guns, but we can't get into Roslyn with them."

"We could try lasers."

"No. That won't work. They could easily take off the chips without us knowing. And lasers are picked up on metal detectors."

"You could carry them and say that's it's your crutches."

"They'll check me anyway."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

Langdon groaned. Then the voices stopped. He opened his eyes in time to see Teabing come over to him.

"What are we doing?"

"Robert, you must be quiet, or I'll take what you said to me seriously." That kept Langdon quiet.

He sat back in his seat. They were in an airplane. It must have been Teabing's privet plane. Langdon had been inside of it before. He had hoped that he would never have to be in it again. It was too small for his liking.

He looked over to see Silas slumped in a seat nearby. Sophie was sitting in a seat towards the front f the plane.

Langdon looked over to her, hoping to catch her eye. After a while she turned around to look at him. He could see in her eyes hurt, angry, and loss. Langdon suddenly felt very guilty. They had promised that they would meet in France again. This was not how he had planned for it to happen.

_This was my entire fault. I should have killed Teabing while I still had the chance. _

She continued to stare at him. He couldn't keep her gaze. It was telling him that she didn't need him… That she could get out of this on her own… It hurt too much to keep looking.

Langdon slumped in his seat. His wrists were tied together again. Unlike Silas, he wasn't gagged. Sophie wasn't either.

_What am I doing here? How can I possibly help Teabing? And how can I get Sophie back?_

"Well, there not going anywhere." Teabing and Remy were talking again. "The threat of death is a powerful one. They don't want to die," Teabing said.

"True," Remy said after a short pause. "But I'd watch out for the albino. I'm not sure if he cares about his life. I think he just wants you dead."

"But then why did he come with Robert?"

There was a long pause. Neither spoke. Then Teabing came over to Langdon.

"Robert, I have something to ask you."

"Is it going to get me killed?" he asked sarcastically.

Teabing shot him a nasty look. "No. I want to know why you came to my estate."

"Well," Langdon thought about his answer. "Silas approached me about you. He wanted to know where you were. And he needed my help to locate you."

"So you came with him?"

"Not exactly. It was more like we came for different reasons almost. But we were there together."

"So you didn't come for Sophie?"

"No," Langdon said. "I didn't know that you had her. We haven't spoken in months. We lost contact."

"But do you care for her?"

"By what means? Yes, we're friends, I guess."

"Well, you must care for her more than that. You said yourself that you would die to save her."

"Robert, whatever you're saying to him," came Sophie's voice, "it's a lie. I don't need you to help me. We're not even friends."

Something inside Langdon died. He felt his head start to ache. His hands started to shake. Teabing looked from Sophie, to Langdon, and back to Sophie.

"Well, Robert, you obviously care for her more than she does you." It seemed almost like Langdon and Teabing were talking like they were old friends. What Teabing had said made no sense to Langdon, but he knew, deep down, that it was true.


	7. Weakness

"Get up, now, all of you," Teabing said. The plane had just landed. They had no idea where they were.

Silas, Sophie, and Langdon did as they were told. They exited the plane with Remy watching them closely.

Langdon stepped out into the cool evening. There was a slight wind blowing. It felt good on his face after hours of being inside of the warm plane.

"Now," Teabing said, "get into the car. He hobbled over to a black unmarked car parked in the hanger. Langdon was the first to move. Then Sophie followed with Silas.

"Robert, you and the others can sit in the back."

Langdon opened the back door, and slid into the far seat. Sophie slid into the middle seat, leaving Silas with the remaining one.

Langdon couldn't look at her. What she had said on the plane was still ringing in his ears. _I don't need you to help me, Robert…_

Remy placed himself in the driver's seat, and started the car. There was a screen between the front and back seats; that meant that they could talk without Teabing and Remy listening in.

"Sophie," Langdon started.

She looked at him, and said, "Hush. We were _just_ friends, Robert. Nothing more. I don't need to be the victim this time. Yes, I know that you want to protect me because of my past, but I don't need you to. I can do this myself, believe it or not." She looked over to Silas, who was staring out of the window absently.

"Sophie," Langdon started again. "I don't want to protect you because of your past. I want to protect you because I care about you."

She continued to stare out of the window with Silas.

"Sophie?"

"I heard you, Robert," she said quietly. "We were just friends. I'm not even sure if you get that part or not. I've only known you for a little while. And we haven't even spoken in months. What happened to France?"

"My lesson was canceled."

"And you couldn't even have called to tell me that?"

In fact, the answer was no. He had been too busy. But that sounded lame to him.

"I'm sorry." That was even lamer. _You sound like an ass, Robert! _

"I just can't do this." Sophie had turned back to look at him now. "Relationships haven't been good with me."

"That can change."

"Robert, listen. We were friends. That's all. Nothing more. You want to do this, but I don't. You have to understand… I can be on my own. I don't need anyone to protect me."

Just then Silas gave a little sniff from the window.

"What?" Sophie asked, looking at him.

"It's just… I don't know," he said. "You two are starting to sound like little children. That's exactly why I never had any relationships that meant anything to me. With the exception of one… And that was a friendship…" His voice trailed off.

Sophie turned back to Langdon. "I can't do it," she said. There was something in her voice and the way her eyes looked that made Langdon not argue with her.

"Why do you keep saying _we were friends?_" Langdon asked after a short pause.

"Because we _were_."

"Can't we still be?"

"I don't know," she said with a sigh. "We haven't said anything to each other in months, Robert. And you expect us to still be friends?"

Just then the screen opened.

"We're going to see an old friend of mine," Teabing said, leaning his head back so that he could look at them. "I want all of you to be on your best behavior. If you don't, then, well… You get the picture, don't you, Robert."

Langdon nodded. "Good, very good…" Teabing said. "We should be there in about twenty minutes." The screen slid closed again.

"What was he talking about?" Sophie asked.

"He meant if we do anything that pisses him off, then we're dead."

"He's going to kill us?"

"Yeah."

"And why did he ask you?"

"It was nothing."

"It was something."

They looked at each other for a moment, before Langdon said, "Sophie, I would do anything to get you out of here. I would give anything to get you away from him," he gestured towards the front of the car, "and he knows that."

"Well, you won't have to," she said.

"Out of there, now, all of you," Teabing said.

Silas, Sophie, and Langdon gingerly clambered out of the car that they had been stuck in for the past half hour.

Langdon looked up at the building they were standing in front of. It was a huge, very old building. It must have gone up at least three stories.

Teabing ushered them inside. Remy brought up the rear of the party. Langdon could hear him grumbling under his breath all the way into the elevator.

Then fear gripped Langdon's insides. They were in the elevator. There were five of them, all cramped into the small space…

He was very glad that it was a short ride. He was quick to exit the space. Teabing noticed. "I'm am so sorry. I forgot your fear of small spaces, Robert." There was something almost mocking in his voice. It did not make Langdon feel any better.

They walked down a short hallway. They seemed to be in an apartment building.

About halfway down the hall, Teabing stopped and knocked on a door twice. It opened after a few seconds. The person who had opened the door was a man with a ling red beard.

He looked at the strange party for a moment, before saying, "by God, Leigh, what is this? Some kind of party?"

"Hello, my friend," Leigh said. He and the man shook hands before he Teabing said, "I believe you know my man servant Remy?"

"Yeah," the man grunted. "The twerp with the greasy hair." Langdon turned to see Remy run a hand over his hair with a disgusted look on his face.

"But the other three…" Teabing said, his voice trailing off.

"Oh, I see," the man said. "Well, come in, come in."

He turned and walked into his apartment. The others followed.

The apartment seemed to be a converted workspace as well. There were papers scattered everywhere. A small table stood in the middle of the living area. On it was several models of various chests and caskets.

"So," he said, sitting down in a chair in the corner, "where do we begin?"


	8. Tiberius

Langdon's legs were stiff. He and been sitting in the living area of Teabing's friend's apartment for hours.

The man who was talking name was Tiberius St. Williams. He seemed nice enough. _Except he's a friend of Teabing's!_

Tiberius talked about the Holy Grail, the Knights Templar, and various other things for a long time. He had mentioned the Free Masons once for twice. Most of it made sense to Langdon, but Tiberius talked so fast, it was hard to hear him sometimes. It seemed that Teabing was the only one who could understand everything he was saying. _Maybe because they're both British…_

Now he had finally stopped talking. "Oh, my. Look at the time. Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Food would be lovely," Teabing said with a gracious smile. He looked towards the rest of the party. "Anyone else hungry?"

Everyone shook his or her heads. They had not eaten sense this morning, and that had been only coffee for Langdon.

"Right, then," Tiberius said, standing up and stretching. He walked over to his tiny kitchen, and rummaged in the fridge for a while. His head emerged after a short while. "I've got nothing," he said. "All that's in there is left-overs. You won't want to be eating those."

"I could send Remy out to the market," Teabing suggested.

"Splendid, splendid…" Tiberius mumbled. Langdon was sure that he was just glad to get Remy out of his house.

"Remy, get some chicken," Tiberius said, "And we'll need some lemons, oranges, and limes. I have the best recipe for citrus chicken…"

About a half an hour later, the six were sitting down at Tiberius's large table eating dinner. Tiberius and Teabing had prepared it. It never struck Langdon that Teabing could cook. He had always though that Remy would do it for him.

After dinner, they sat back down in the living area. It was almost like Langdon, Sophie, and Silas were there as guests, not as prisoners.

After a short while, Langdon started to feel drossy. It was getting harder to keep his eyes open. _It's only because I've been through a lot today… _Soon after, he, Silas, and Sophie were all in a drug-induced sleep, and Teabing was ready to move again.

"Shit," Langdon said. He had just woken up. His head hurt a lot. _How many times are they going to drug me today?_

They were on a plane again. _I hate planes. _This time, Tiberius accompanied them on their flight. He and Teabing were talking at the front of the plane. Langdon, Sophie, and Silas were seated in the back. Remy was nowhere in sight.

Langdon looked at the other two. Silas was still asleep, but Sophie was awake too.

"Sophie," Langdon said, "how are you feeling?"

"Fine," she answered. Her voice was short and she wouldn't look him in the eyes. "And you?"

"I'm alright," he said.

"Robert, I'm sorry about… you know… earlier… But I haven't even heard anything about you for months. I just can't handle relationships well." There was a short pause. "You know, my brother never liked you."

"What?" That was one of the most random comments that had ever come out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she said. "The only people I've really talked to are my brother and grandmother."

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" Langdon asked.

"No," she said. "I thought you were the professor here. You're supposed to figure that out."

Langdon gave a small chortle. He looked into Sophie's eyes, and suddenly felt very alone. _She wants nothing to do with you, Robert. You're going to have to let her go. Don't kid yourself by saying you're still friends. You haven't seen her in five fucking months! _

Langdon and Sophie stopped talking; each was lost in their own little worlds.


	9. With Dieing Breath

"Here we go again," Silas said. They had just landed. They weren't sure where they were this time. It must have been very close to London, though; the flight only lasted about an hour, maybe less.

"Into the car, now, all of you," Teabing said again. They climbed into a car that resembled a limo. Only it was much smaller inside.

Teabing and Tiberius sat in the front, while the three others were smooched into the back seat. Remy was forced to drive again.

"God only knows where we will go next." Sophie and Langdon turned to Silas.

"What?"

"God is the only one who knows where we will be led next," Silas said, his voice barely above a whisper now. "It was His will that I be put through all this. It was His will that Teabing is not dead. It was His will that we should meet this man named Tiberius."

"I can understand what you're saying about Teabing, but not about this other guy."

Silas didn't say anything.

"Silas?" He remained silent. "I wonder about him sometimes," Langdon said, shaking his head. Sophie merely looked at him, and said nothing.

The car rolled steadily down a road for a good half hour or so. When they rounded a corner, Sophie gasped. She knew where they were going. Langdon saw it too. They were staring at the gigantic figure of Roslyn Church in Scotland.

Sophie's eyes filled with tears. "He's going to take my brother."

"What?" Langdon asked.

"We're here to take my brother. I can't let him do this…"

"It's okay," Langdon said.

"No, it's not. Bastard!" she screamed through the screen. It was no use. The screen was soundproof.

Then Sophie broke down completely. Langdon took her in his arms more for himself that to comfort her. She made no struggle. It was like she was just going to give up. It was like life almost didn't matter anymore…

"Sophie, we won't let Teabing take him. We'll find a way to stop them."

"Sure," she said into his shoulder, "And I can turn water to wine."

"I serious," Langdon said. "We won't let them take your brother. Right, Silas?"

Silas made no reply.

"Thanks for your support," Langdon said flatly. He turned his attention back to Sophie. "We can do this."

"What's all the blubbering about, back there?" Langdon looked and saw that Teabing had slide open the screen and was looking at them curiously.

Langdon just glared at him. "Ah, I see that you have figured out our destination. Very, very smart of you." He paused. "And I assume that she is like this because she was figured out our task."

"What do you mean, _out task?_" Langdon growled.

"Well, you and Silas are going in to get darling Sophie's brother for us."

"What?"

"You heard me, Robert. And if you don't, well, then… you get the picture." With that, he slid the screen close again.

Sophie moaned. "There's not way that you can let him go and come back with your life."

"I know," Langdon sighed. He looked at Silas, who looked nonplused. _He doesn't get it._

"Go on, now, you two. And get quick about it. Use the gun if you have to," Teabing said as Tiberius ushered Silas and Langdon towards Roslyn Church.

Langdon had the gun placed in the chest pocket of his jacket. Silas had been eyeing it for a few moments before they starting walking into the church.

They entered Roslyn, looking like harmless tourists. The only problem was that they were the only ones in there.

Just then there came a noise from the front of the church. Then Sophie's brother came into view.

He stopped short when he saw Langdon and Silas.

"Um, hi," Langdon said lamely.

He paused for a moment, before saying, "Hello."

He walked closer to Langdon and Silas.

"Um," Langdon said apprehensively, "we have a bit of an issue. You see, Teabing's out there, you know, the grail freak your sister and myself were dealing with a while ago… and he's got Sophie, my friend here, and myself captive. And I think he wants you for something. We were sent in her to get you."

He stared at Langdon for a moment. "And if I don't come?"

"Then I get shot."

"Oh."

Just then Langdon saw that Silas had a sudden glimmer in his eyes. Then he reached into Langdon's coat pocket and pulled out the gun.

Langdon took a step back, and Sophie's brother jumped back out of the way.

"Run," Silas said. "Run, damn it!" And without warning his fired the gun. The other two covered their ears and ducked. When they looked again, Silas was on the ground. He had shot himself to give them a bid for freedom. "Go," he said with his last breath. "Go and get Sophie, Robert." Then he slumped on the ground, and lay motionless.


	10. Away

Author's Notes: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I went to a MCR concert last night. I really tired now, and school starts again tomorrow.

Langdon and Sophie's brother just stood there. They watched in horror, as Silas lay on the cold floor, motionless, with blood gushing out of the bullet hole in his chest.

"Wow," Langdon said, "he would kill himself to help us get away."

Sophie's brother was silent.

"You'd better go," Langdon said after a short pause. "I can't go back there alone, but I can't go back there with you either."

"Then you must no go back at all," he said. "We have to get put of here right now."

Langdon took one last look at Silas. His heat filled with anger at the thought of what had made him sacrifice himself to save the others. _He was a good man, after all…_

The two started to run down to the other end of the church. Sophie's brother led them to a back door, and they slipped out. There was an open field that stood in their way. They had to get to the forest on the other side.

_What if Teabing kills Sophie instead of me?_

They ran like mad men. In next to no time, they had reached the forest on the other side of the field. They stood there, panting, for a few moments before Sophie's brother said, "Get her back."

"I'm sorry?"

"Get Sophie back. I don't care what she may say, she needs you."

Langdon just stared at him like he had three heads. _Well, that was unexpected._

"We have to get somewhere else," he continued. "Teabing might go into the church. If he does, then he'll find your friend…" His voice trailed away.

"He wasn't really a friend," Langdon said. "He was just a guy I knew."

"Right, well, we still have to move. But where we go next, I have no idea."

"That's helpful."

"Then you try to find a place to get to when your car is out in the parking area with that psycho."

"Good point."

They stood there for a moment in silence.

"I think on the other side of this forest is a small village," Sophie's brother said after a while. "You might be able to hike through the forest, and get help there."

"You _think _there's a village on the other side?"

"Look, if you're going to be an ass about this…"

"No, no. I'll start hiking, thanks. But what about you? You're not going back there, are you?"

"I don't know," he answered. "I don't know what to do…"

"I guess this is goodbye, then," Langdon said.

They looked at each other for a moment, and then shook hands, and Langdon departed into the forest. Sophie's brother stared blankly into the forest, even after Langdon's shaped had disappeared. Then he turned, and began to walk back towards the church.

Langdon had been walking for hours when he finally came upon a small village. It was dark now, and very hard to see.

Langdon was lost in his thoughts. Silas was dead. He didn't know what had happened to Sophie's brother. Sophie was still with Teabing and his cronies. And he was tired, hungry, and felt like he was going to throw-up at any moment.

Langdon head voices coming from the center of the village. There, lay a small town square. Before passing out, he remembered someone rushing over to him, and frantic voices. Then his world went black.


	11. The Doctor

"Where am I?" Langdon groaned. He was lying on a soft bed in a small room. There was one small window across the room. From it, he could see the autumn leaves blowing in the wind, and the trees swaying gently.

"Hello, there," a voice said. Langdon turned to see a man standing in the doorway of the room. He was leaning against the door, drying his hands with a rag. "I'm glas to see that you are awake."

"Where's Sophie?"

"I'm sorry?" the man said, walking over to Langdon.

"Where's Sophie?" he repeated.

"I don't know whom you are talking about," then man said, suddenly looking at him intensely. "Are you alright? Does your head hurt?"

"I'm fine," Langdon insisted. He tried to sit up and get out of bed, but the man pushed him back down.

"You're not going anywhere," he said sternly.

"But I have to find Sophie," Langdon said. "Who are you?"

"My name is Lenard McDersly," the man said, feeling Langdon's forehead. "I'm the town doctor. We found you last night. You collapsed, and we didn't know where you came from. So we brought you here. I don't know if you sustained any injuries to your head or not."

"Where's Sophie?" Langdon repeated. His voice was more forceful now.

"We found you alone. There was no one with you that we were aware of."

"Oh my God," Langdon said. "She's gone. I can't get her back."

"Sir, you are delirious," Dr. McDersly said. "Just lay back down, and everything will be alright."

Langdon did as he was told, and soon fell into a dark and troubled sleep, haunted by images of Sophie, Teabing, and a dieing angel.

"Hello? Hello?"

Langdon groaned and opened his eyes. Dr. McDersly was standing over him.

"Oh, good. You're awake now."

"How long have I been out?" Langdon asked.

"Oh, I'd say two days, probably."

"What?"

"I think that you might have gone into a coma. But your head looks fine. There's nothing wrong with it. But I can't think what caused the coma. Stress, maybe?"

"Where is Sophie?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I have no idea who you are talking about. I don't even know your name."

"My name is Robert Langdon," he said. "I'm a professor at Harvard University in America."

"Okay," the Dr. said. "Now, can you tell me who Sophie is?"

"Sophie is the woman I was trying to rescue. Teabing and the gorilla have her. I have to find her." His voice was starting to become panic stricken now.

"Um, Mr. Langdon, we didn't find anyone with you. You wandered into our town by yourself. There's not much I can help you with right now. You just need rest. Lie back down now."

"No," Langdon said flatly. "I have to get out of here. I have to find her. Silas isn't there to protect her anymore. He's dead."

"Who?" the Dr. asked. "Who's dead?"

"Silas," Langdon said. That was the last thing that he said before the door opened to the room, and in came a woman.

"Dr.?" she said. "There's a patient here who is in critical condition. She needs immediate help. Come quickly." Then she disappeared.

"I'm sorry," he said, "but I have to go now. "Duty calls." With that he stood up and walked out of the room, leaving Langdon by himself.


	12. Awake at last

Two days had passed. Langdon was now allowed to roam around as he wished during the day. The only time that he was forced to stay in bed was when the doctor was not around.

Langdon was perfectly fine now; from the outside, at least. He sometimes felt like he could curl up and die when he thought about Sophie. But he survived by blocking those thoughts from his mind. He had to find her.

One day Dr. McDersly came in to his room. "I have a favor to ask of you," he said. Langdon nodded, and he continued, "There's this woman a few rooms down from you. She's in a terrible coma, and we can't see to get her out of it. I was wondering if you could go down and talk to her."

"But if she's in a coma, she can't hear me," Langdon said.

"That's a common misconception," the Dr. said. "They can hear you, they just can't respond just yet. I thought that it would be nice if you talked to her because you're not an employee of this place that our village calls a hospital," he continued with a small laugh. "Just go and talk to her, if you get the chance. Okay?" And then he stood up and left the room.

Langdon sat there for a few minuets. Then he got out of bed, and went to find the room of the woman.

He slowly opened the door to one of the rooms down from his own. After closing it behind him, he turned to look at her. And then his heart stopped.

The woman was Sophie.

Langdon felt like collapsing and crying his eyes out, but he didn't. He slowly walked over to the edge of the bed. "Sophie," he said, his voice starting to crack. "What happened?"

She looked awful. There were bruises on her arms and face. She had a few nasty looking cuts across her face. _What happened Sophie? _

Langdon sat down in the chair next to the bed. He sat there for a little while, just staring at her. Then he gently took her hand in his, and did the only thing he could do to help her: he started talking.

He talked for what seemed like hours. He talked about Harvard, his dog from when he was a child, the time he fell down a well shaft, about how Silas had killed himself to save them, her brother, his family. He had to keep talking; it had to work.

Finally, Dr. McDersly came in to check on how she was doing.

"I wish I knew anything about her," he said with a sigh, "Anything. Her blood type, medical history, even her name."

"Her name's Sophie," Langdon said quietly, not looking up at him.

"Your Sophie?" he questioned.

Langdon nodded. "My Sophie."

"Do you know what happened to her?"

"I don't know," Langdon started, his voice choking in his throat. "I don't' know," he said again, "I wasn't with her. She was supposed to be with someone else. I don't know how she got away."

Just then a new voice added to the mix. "Robert?"

Langdon and the Dr. both looked down at Sophie. Her eyes were open; she was talking.

"Well, Mr. Langdon," the Dr. said with a huge smile, "it looks like talking to her really did help. You may just have a miracle voice."

Sophie squeezed Langdon's hand tighter. "I'm sorry, Robert. I'm sorry." And then she fell asleep.

"I think that's enough for today," Dr. McDersly said. "Thank you very much, Mr. Langdon."

That night Langdon went to be feeling very strange. He hadn't felt this way in a very, very long time. _What is it? _He couldn't exactly place the feeling. Then he drifted off to sleep. The feeling was very good: it was joy.


	13. Together Again

Days had passed since Sophie had come out of her coma. She was feeling marginally better now, but was still not able to get out of her bed.

Langdon came to sit with her everyday. Sometimes they would just sit there in silence, and others they would talk about things. Langdon was trying to avoid talking about what had happened in the last few days. He thought that it might be too painful for Sophie to talk about just yet.

One day they had been sitting in silence for about an hour when Sophie said, "What is going to happen now?"

"What?" Langdon said horsy. He hadn't used his voice in a while.

"What's going to happen?" Sophie repeated. "I mean, to us?"

"Um," Langdon stammered. He hadn't expected her to ask this. "I'm not sure. I don't think that Teabing could find us here. He's probably off somewhere with that Tiberius guy."

"No," Sophie said, looking up at his face. "I meant what is going to happen to us as people. I don't care about Teabing. What are we going to do?"

Langdon opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He really wasn't sure what to say to this. He just looked into Sophie's eyes, lost in thought.

She smiled. "It's okay," she said, taking his hand in hers. "You don't have to answer this now. I think I'll go back to bed now. I'm really tired."

"Oh," Langdon said. He was a tiny bit happy that she didn't want to talk about this now. "Okay. I'll let you sleep." She gave his hand a final squeeze, and closed her eyes.

Langdon quietly exited the room. He wasn't sure where he was going; he just needed to walk.

A few minuets later, he found himself wandering outside of the makeshift hospital that was really an extension of the doctor's house. He walked aimlessly around, until he finally found a spot where he could sit down and think.

Langdon perched himself at the base of a gigantic maple tree. Its red and oranges leaves were blowing around in the wind. It wasn't that could for an October morning.

He sighed as sat down. He truly didn't know what was going to happen to him and Sophie. _What am I supposed to do? What do I say to her? I can't do this! No! Snap out of this, Robert! You lover her, and you know it! But I can't do this! Yes you can! Just tell her you lover her! How do I say that to her? Just do it! _Langdon's mind argued back and forth until he finally fell asleep.

Langdon awoke hours later. _How long have I been asleep? _He now knew what he was going to tell Sophie.

He walked back slowly to the hospital, still lost in thought. He had to do this. It didn't matter what she said to him, or if she felt the same way or not. He just had to tell her.

He pushed Sophie's door open quietly. She was awake, and smiled when she saw him come in. "Hey," she said. "Where've you been?"

"Oh, I took a walk," he said lightly. "Scotland is so beautiful at this time of year."

"Yeah, it is," Sophie agreed. "I don't really remember coming here when I was a small child." She smiled, lost in memory.

"Um, Sophie?" Langdon said, ringing his hands together.

"Yeah?" She said, coming out of her trance.

"Um, about what you said earlier," Langdon stammered, walking over and taking a seat in the chair next to her bed. "I was thinking about that when I was on my walk."

"Robert," She said, "Hush…"

He just stared blankly at her. He had practiced everything that he was about to say, and now she wouldn't let him.

"Robert, I think I love you."

Langdon blinked. He was _definitely _not expecting that. But there was something inside of him that was bursting to come out. And then it broke.

He smiled, and started laughing.

"What?" Sophie said, suddenly looking at him more intensely. "What?"

"I… don't…know…" Langdon managed to choke out between laughs. "Sophie? I love you too."

She smiled warmly at him. "What I said to you a few days ago, I really didn't mean any of it."

"I know," he said. He stopped laughing now. "Your brother told me."

"You saw my brother?" she asked.

"Yeah. Teabing sent Silas and me into get him."

"Oh," she said. It was all coming back to her now. "That's why he…was…"

"Yeah," Langdon said. They sat in silence for a moment.

"Is he alright?" Sophie asked.

"I think so. He sent me into the woods to try to find help. I don't know where he went."

"Oh."

Langdon really wanted to ask what Sophie had done to escape, but he didn't want to push it. He didn't need to know, not just yet.

Just Dr. McDersly came into the room. "Ah," he said, "good. I wanted to see both of you. I am happy to announce that you may both leave this afternoon. You are both fine now."

"Thank you," Langdon said.

The Dr. just smiled, and said, "Goodbye. I hope both of you return to your homes safely." Then he walked away.

"What do you think happened to Teabing and his friend?" Sophie asked after a few moments.

"I don't know," Langdon answered. "And I don't really care, as long as he leaves us alone. I'm sure he won't be able to find us here."

Sophie smiled, and said, "Let's get out of here, Robert."


	14. Heading Home

"Are you ready to go?" Langdon asked Sophie. It was later that day, and they were finally able to leave.

"Just a moment," she called from inside the small bathroom in her room.

Langdon stood outside of the room and waited. A few minuets later, Sophie came out. She smiled at him, and he kissed her softly on her forehead. "I'm ready," she said.

She took his hand in hers, and they walked out of the hospital together. They had no bags to carry with them; it was just themselves.

"So, where do we go now?" Langdon asked once they were in the town square.

"I don't know," Sophie said. "I suppose we could go to my grandmother's house. It's sort of close to Roslyn, though."

"It's the only place we have," Langdon pointed out.

She smiled warmly at him. "You are right." They looked at each other for a moment, and then he pulled her closer to him. They started walking off in the direction of Roslyn Chapel. They could just see it above the tree line.

After an hour or so of walking, they stopped beneath the shade of a large hickory tree to rest.

"So," Langdon started uncomfortably, "What happened to you?"

Sophie just looked at him. "I don't really remember. I know that I ran when I saw the opportunity. But I don't know how I got to the small village. But I do remember Teabing was getting very angry that you and Silas hadn't come back yet. So I think that he and his friend took me into Roslyn. And we found Silas…" her voice trailed off. "I think that Teabing and Tiberius went to look at him or to search for you. They just left me near the door. Then I think I ran, and they didn't notice." She stopped talking, and looked down at the forest floor.

"Wow," Langdon said. He took her hand and held onto it tight. "But you're safe now. I promise." She looked up at him. They just looked at each other for a long time before Langdon said, "I think that we should get going."

He was just going to stand up when Sophie moved closer to him, and kissed him hard. They stayed like that for a minute or so, before Sophie said, "We really should move."

"Yeah," Langdon said, a little dazed from what had just happened. "Yeah, we should."

They started walking again. Holding hands, they moved towards of Roslyn Chapel, towards home.

Author's Notes: I'm sorry it's a short chapter. I'm having a hard time trying to make this story come to an end. I promise there will be a sequel. 


	15. A Seal of Love

Hours later, Langdon and Sophie finally reached Sophie's grandmother's house. They were exhausted, and felt like they were going to collapse at any moment, but they out up with her grandmother's fussing over how bad they looked, and how happy she was to see them unharmed.

Later that night, when Sophie and Langdon were washed up and fed with a good meal, Sophie's brother pulled Langdon aside. "How is she?" he asked.

"Fine," Langdon responded. "She's a little shaken up, but she's fine."

"Good," her brother said. "How is she, I mean… with you?"

Langdon gave him a small smile. "You were right."

Sophie's brother laughed. "I'm always right."

"You two really need some rest," Sophie's grandmother said. It was a few hours later, and they all had been sitting in the living room, talking about non-important things. "Robert, dear, you wouldn't mind sleeping on the couch, now would you?"

"It's alright," Sophie chimed in. "Robert and I can share my bed, It's big enough for two to fit in it."

Sophie's brother exchanged a look with Langdon that made Langdon kick him in the foot.

"Ouch!" he said.

"What was that, Leo?" Sophie's grandmother asked, turning to face him, as if she had only just noticed that he was there.

"Oh, nothing," he lied. "My foot is just tingly, that's all."

"Well, than go and walk around," she said.

Leo grudgingly got up from his seat and walked into the kitchen. Sophie gave a small giggle.

"Now, really, dears, you should get some sleep. Bed, now."

Sophie and Langdon smiled at each other before getting up from the couch and walking into Sophie room. Sophie closed the door behind them. "So," she said.

They just looked at each other for a while. Then Langdon walked over to Sophie and swooped her up in his arms. She stifled her giggles as he bought her over to the bed. Langdon gently lay her down, and crawled onto the bed next to her.

Sophie's face was bright red from trying not to laugh. Langdon kissed her softly on the lips, before she turned off the lights, and they nestled in for sleep.

"I love you, Robert," Sophie whispered in his ear.

Langdon smiled in the darkness. "I love you, too, Sophie."

**Author's Notes: I'm sorry, but that's the last chapter. There will be a sequel very soon. **


End file.
